Maitland Injury Lawyers

Maitland, Florida has a reputation as a sleepy suburban city in Orange County, just 15 minutes north of Orlando. Once a largely rural spot, it’s been increasingly urbanized by its proximity to Orlando. It’s always been a popular vacation spot, favored for the climate, proximity to theme parks, noted historic district, great boating and views at picturesque parks along the edge of expansive lakes.

The Maitland injury lawyers at Freeman Injury Law know that this area is one of cultural relevance and enrichment, hosting the region’s only full-time independent movie theater, as well as art and history museums and the annual Maitland Art Festival.

All of these are in part what is driving city leaders to focus on a number of improvements to the city focus and overall landscape. That includes road paving ($4.3 million to fix potholes over five years), bicycle and sidewalk network ($2.2 million over five years), transportation facilities, parking lots (including $1.8 million to build a new parking deck downtown), streetscaping, schools and parks, as outlined in a recent Capital Improvements Program.

Officials have prioritized transportation improvements as a No. 1 priority, while listing pavement treatment and updates to city facilities and bicycle/ sidewalk network a No. 2 priority. Park system improvements and streetscaping are placed as a 3rd-tier priority.

Emphasizing these developments will simultaneously help to bolster resident and visitor safety by driving down the risk of:

Trip-and-fall injuries;

Parking lot injuries;

Motor vehicle accidents;

School injuries/ child injuries;

Bicycle accident injuries;

Pedestrian accident injuries;

Boating injuries;

Child injuries;

Motorcycle accidents;

Wrongful death.

Lowering the risk of these incidents is possible – despite a rise in population – with a proper level of planning.

So often when we think of an “accident,” it’s with the belief that because it was unintended, no one is at fault. But the reality is that so many personal injuries are avoidable. That’s part of why we fight as hard as we do for the rights of the injured: Because these injuries were needless. They didn’t have to happen if those responsible had simply exercised reasonable care.

Damages in Maitland Personal Injury Lawsuits

Compensation for personal injuries – also called “damages” – can take many forms. Some common types of damages in these cases include:

Hospital bills

Therapy/rehabilitation costs

Medical expenses

Property damage

Lost income (due to time away from work)

Future loss of income

Emotional/ mental distress

Insurance/ employment benefits (which often must be repaid if there is recovery from a third party)

Long-term disability/ incapacity

Loss of life enjoyment

Loss of a loved one’s financial support and/or companionship following a wrongful death

One of the first questions our lawyers are often asked is, “How much is my case worth?” The answer will depend on so many different factors. Sometimes it’s not just about what a person may be owed, but what they can reasonably expect to collect.

For example, one may suffer a catastrophic injury with damages totaling in the multi-millions. But if there is only one defendant and he’s not insured, the injured may be limited in what they can reasonably expect to receive. This is why it’s important for injury lawyers to conduct a detailed investigation into not just the extent of the damages but which individuals/ entities may share in the liability.

Let’s take, for instance, a car accident. Let’s say the other driver is at-fault, but lacks insurance. There are a few different scenarios we may want to explore, including:

Does the victim have access to an uninsured motorist (UM) policy that would allow him/her to collect the difference from his/her own auto insurer;

Was the driver operating a vehicle that didn’t belong to him? If so, the vehicle owner could be held vicariously liable;

Was the at-fault driver acting in the course and scope of employment at the time of the crash? If so, the driver’s employer could be vicariously liable;

Was the injured driver acting in the course and scope of employment? If so, he or she could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits;

Was the driver drunk? If so, was he/ she over 21? If not, the establishment that served alcohol to a minor could be liable under Florida’s dram shop law, F.S.768.125;

Did the vehicle or some component malfunction, leading to the accident? If so, there could be a viable product liability claim;

Was there some feature or design of the roadway that contributed to the crash, whether it was a pothole or overgrown shrubs blocking the view or a malfunctioning traffic light? If so, there could be grounds for a claim against the city/ entity responsible to design/ maintain those roads and features.

Similar lines of questioning may apply for all different kinds of personal injury lawsuits in Maitland. In some cases, it may not even be necessary to file a lawsuit, as the defendant might be willing to settle fairly quickly. It’s important for anyone who has suffered an injury in Maitland to contact an experienced civil litigation lawyer who can help determine the most prudent course of action.